National children’s hospital board sees legal expenses triple as it fights €880m in claims
The amount of money spent on legal fees, litigation and defending claims by the board of the new national children’s hospital rose sharply from €2 million in 2023 to more than €6 million in 2024. The hospital’s board said it is now defending €880m in claims. Relations between the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) and BAM have publicly deteriorated in recent years. If it is disputed, the claim goes to legal proceedings, so that the dispute can be finally determined by the court. “As it stands, claims are now at all levels of the dispute mechanism process, which involve the Employers Representative, Project Board, Conciliation, Adjudication, and the High Court,” the spokeswoman said.
Source:The Irish Times
October 28, 2025 22:33 UTC
Limerick hospital expansion at risk over chief executive pay row
The expansion of a hospital in Limerick is now at risk due to an escalating row between the Health Service Executive and the board of the healthcare facility over the rate of pay to its chief executive. In August, The Irish Times revealed that the salary of Emer Martin, chief executive of St John’s Hospital in Limerick, was increased to that of a higher pay band - breaching the consolidated public pay scales. “Failure to comply may result in delayed progression to planned developments for St John’s,” the letter said. Ms Broderick added: “All future developments agreed or otherwise are now paused based on our concerns in respect of governance matters. St John’s Hospital did not respond to a request for comment.
Source:The Irish Times
October 28, 2025 22:33 UTC
Surge in number of exclusion orders against foreign-national prisoners
Photograph: Sam Boal/Collins PhotosEfforts to deport convicted criminals from the Republic have been ramped up in recent months, with a record number of those in Irish prisons now also having exclusion orders imposed. That compares with 24 exclusion orders imposed on EU citizens last year and 19 in 2023. Of the people covered by those 99 exclusion orders imposed to mid-October, some 45 have already been removed, including 22 on commercial flights and 23 on a charter flight, to Romania, the week before last. [ About 500 people subject to deportation orders living in international protection facilitiesOpens in new window ][ Explainer: What is the purpose of deportation flights out of Ireland? Having come to Ireland in 2019, his application for international protection met a final rejection last year.
Source:The Irish Times
October 28, 2025 22:32 UTC
Gaza peace plan deadlocked despite hands-on US efforts
Photograph: Bashar Taleb/AFP via Getty ImagesIt’s been one month since US president Donald Trump announced his Gaza ceasefire plan, forcing both Israel and Hamas to endorse the 20-point plan despite significant reservations. The initial signs were promising, with the release of all 20 living Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity just a few days later - a dramatic development that few Israelis believed would happen. Israel is reluctant to flood Gaza with aid as long as Hamas is keeping hold of some of the bodies. Vance raised the prospect of rebuilding and repopulating Rafah, at the southern tip of the enclave, which is under complete Israeli control, with the relocation of tens of thousands of homeless war refugees. Israel last week started placing large yellow concrete blocks demarcating the temporary “yellow-line” border between eastern and western Gaza.
Source:The Irish Times
October 28, 2025 22:32 UTC
‘This was twice their size’: How Ireland’s war on Asian hornets started in a beer garden
They had suspected for some time that the Asian Hornet was either in Ireland or on its way. An Asian hornet (Vespa velutina). The hunt that began that day grabbed the public’s attention in a way no other invasive species alert did before. [ Agency in North seeks Asian hornet advice from Waterford centreOpens in new window ]Since the Asian Hornet’s moment of fame, the NBDC has issued another alert, this time for the Demon Shrimp. “Anything that occurs below the water surface is not seen by many of the public,” says John Kelly, invasive species programme manager at the NBDC.
Source:The Irish Times
October 28, 2025 22:32 UTC
Gerry Thornley: Too old? Too Leinster? We’ll soon learn a lot about Andy Farrell’s Ireland
There was scarcely a whiff of atmosphere when New Zealand beat Ireland in Dublin last year. After his sabbatical with the British and Irish Lions, Andy Farrell is back in his day job in earnest this week. Back then, Ireland lost their opening two games away to Wales and at home to France before responding with wins over Italy, Scotland and England. The challenges of this year alone are going to stand us in great stead to learn from those experiences. After all, this came within three days of Farrell initially naming a 34-man squad featuring 21 Leinster players to one from Munster, on top of 14 Leinster players taking part in the Lions tour down under compared with just Tadhg Beirne from Munster.
Source:The Irish Times
October 28, 2025 22:32 UTC
Hamilton and other hit shows boost profits at Bord Gáis Energy Theatre
Hamilton was one of several high-profile productions that helped boost turnover and profit at the owner of the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre last year. Photograph: Danny KaanThe company that operates the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in Dublin has reported double digit increases in revenues and profits for last year on the back of several high-profile productions including Hamilton, Wicked, Mary Poppins and Swan Lake. Crownway Entertainment acquired the theatre in 2014 for €29.1 million, purchasing the freehold three years later from Dublin City Council. In September 2024, Crownway renewed the naming rights agreement with Bord Gáis Energy for 10 years. [ Calamity Jane at Bord Gáis Energy Theatre review: High-quality comfort entertainmentOpens in new window ]
Source:The Irish Times
October 28, 2025 22:32 UTC
‘There’s no other option’: Leitrim woman’s commute went from six minutes to six hours
Gilheaney left Leitrim aged 19 to go to college and spent most of those 20 years living in Dublin. She commutes six hours a day, three times a week to her lecturing job in Dublin. Martha Gilheaney (41) recently swapped her six-minute commute to work in Dublin city centre for a six-hour commute from her home in Leitrim. Photograph: Chris Maddaloni/The Irish TimesMartha Gilheaney at her recently bought home in Co Leitrim. Photograph: Chris MaddaloniOverall, she is happy with her decision to leave Dublin, despite the difficult commute.
Source:The Irish Times
October 28, 2025 22:30 UTC
Local Property Tax: Some bills will double, others will go down. Find out what you’ll pay
The good news is that once you complete your property valuation for the new property tax period, you won’t have to do it again until 2030. This new value will determine how much property tax you will have to pay over the next five years. Thus, most of us should expect a tax increase of about 5-6 per cent, for properties valued at under €1.26 million. [ Local property tax revaluation is looming. Mobile homes – even if occupied – house boats and camper vans, are not deemed to be liable for property tax.
Source:The Irish Times
October 28, 2025 22:30 UTC
From France to Ireland: ‘I called my parents after two weeks and said I’m not coming back’
“I wouldn’t say that I was homeless because if I had called my parents in France, they would have given me money to stay in a hotel,” she says. I’m supposed to be quite a serious, independent person.”At the time, Descottes was working in a music shop when she wasn’t performing. “From the first tune I knew that [Irish traditional music] would be a big part of my life. I can’t make traditional music in another country; it doesn’t make sense.”After graduating from university in France with a degree in art and performance, Descottes moved to Ireland. There’re so many women who play Irish music for a living here.
Source:The Irish Times
October 28, 2025 22:30 UTC
What will €699,000 buy in Cavan and Dublin 5?
CountryNa Clocha Lia, Station Road, Kingscourt, Cavan€699,000, Keenan AuctioneersNot many people know that Na Clocha Lia is just off the main street of Kingscourt in Cavan as it is hidden down a long, tree-lined driveway. The three-bedroom, three-bathroom house is behind an electric gate and sits on 0.4 acres (0.16 hectares). Livingroom, Na Clocha LiaInside the C2-rated home, there is a large livingroom at the centre as well as a sunroom, kitchen and diningroom. There is an overall floor area of 99sq m (1,066sq ft) that includes a kitchen, diningroom and study. The attic is large enough to convert (subject to planning) and there is a solid-block shed in the garden.
Source:The Irish Times
October 28, 2025 22:28 UTC
Chris Hadfield: ‘I have an Irish granddaughter and I couldn’t be more delighted’
Astronaut Chris Hadfield’s wife Helene had to initially take on a lot of the home responsibilities and child rearing to allow her husband pursue his career, he admits. And so they took the rather unusual option at holiday time of Chris taking the children away for a fortnight, but not Helene. Working in the armed forces for the majority of his children’s lives meant that Chris was away from his children a significant amount of time. With a new Irish granddaughter Chris “couldn’t be more delighted”, and he discusses the excitement and anxiety of awaiting her arrival from a distance. “If you’re the child of someone like that, then if you’re successful ‘well of course you’re successful.
Source:The Irish Times
October 28, 2025 22:26 UTC
Ireland ranks high on rule of law, but justice weakens in most countries
The Rule of Law Index is compiled from hundreds of thousands of surveys completed by lawyers, judges and others worldwide. The World Justice Project warned of an “authoritarian push” eroding the rule of law in many countries. Its annual Rule of Law Index reported that 68 per cent of countries showed declines in judicial independence, freedom of expression and assembly, and constraints on government powers. Source: WJP Rule of Law Index Insights 2024“Judiciaries are losing ground to executive overreach, with rising political interference across justice systems,” it said. “Civil justice weakened in 68 per cent of countries, including Ireland,” the index said.
Source:The Irish Times
October 28, 2025 22:22 UTC
Moth holes in your favourite jumper? Here’s what to do
Ireland is home to around 1,500 species of moth, but only two are known to feast on our clothes: the aptly named common clothes moth, and the case-bearing clothes moth. We have helped clothes moths along by making our homes so cosy, with central heating, wall-to-wall carpets and overflowing wardrobes. There was a decline in clothes moth numbers in the 1980s, when synthetic fabrics such as polyester, acrylic, nylon, spandex, and PVC became widespread, leaving less natural material for moths to eat. Small cashmere holes might require 50 stitches, while chunky knits can be faster. The ultimate irony is that, because MothTech is organic cotton, real clothes moths would not touch it.
Source:The Irish Times
October 28, 2025 22:20 UTC
Amazon to cut up to 14,000 corporate jobs
This would form part of a major restructuring across its corporate workforce, with 14,000 jobs expected to be cut globally. Reuters earlier said the company was planning to cut as many as 30,000 corporate jobs, as the company compensates for overhiring during the peak demand of the pandemic. The figure represents a small percentage of Amazon’s 1.55 million total employees, but nearly 10 per cent of its roughly 350,000 corporate employees. This would mark Amazon’s largest job cut since late 2022, when it started to eliminate around 27,000 positions. Layoffs.fyi, a website tracking tech job cuts, estimated that about 98,000 jobs have been lost so far this year among 216 companies.
Source:The Irish Times
October 28, 2025 17:08 UTC